INSPIRING WISDOM

Peace of Mind

Everything that God created must behave calmly. Calmness pervades all of nature; in the fields and in the woods, on the mountains and in the valley, in the streams and in the air, a profound calmness always prevails. And this calmness also rules by nature in the heart of man, which is part of God's creation. Among the many things that human beings crave for is peace of mind. Peace of mind is man's normal state... the peace which man admires in nature is also found within himself, for he is part of nature... One craves only for those things which are an integral part of his nature. Man craves for peace of mind, because peace is natural to his being, he craves to gain and possess that which is his natural portion. This very yearning on the part of man is an indication that God created him for peace. Because peace of mind is natural to man, in its presence every part of one's being is preserved and advanced. When one's inner state is peaceful, then all the processes of mind and body act normally and with great potency and perfection.

The human mind is best when it is at ease, it yields its deepest thoughts when its mood is that of serenity. The mind can give expression to its finest and noblest only when it is at peace with itself. In the absence of peace, the mental vision loses its acuteness and clearness, the judgement finds itself clouded with uncertainty, it finds itself incapable of making decisions and assisting its positive powers. In the absence of inner peace, one may still strive, still act, but his actions do not represent his best capabilities; his best powers are in retreat.

Peace of mind is disrupted through faulty habits of thinking, and through an erroneous attitude toward life. Toxic mental reactions of people are, above all, excitement, fear, and depression. An individual loses his peace of mind by dwelling on things which never happen, by creating morbid images in his mind of things which are altogether remote from reality. The greatest misfortunes that an individual suffers are those which never happens. The catastrophes which are most considerable are those which never take place. It is the future which fills us with anxiety. It is the problems of tomorrow that torment us. It is the fears for tomorrow that distress us with their unknown shapes. Man loses his peace of mind when he lends exaggerated attention to the insignificant aspects of life... Many a night has been spent sleepless and wretched because of an exaggeration or misinterpretation of some insignificant incident. Habitual excitement renders us irritable. We become impatient with things that require calm judgement and serene consideration.

Life in its fundamental aspects is calm and serene. Nature itself emanates tranquility and peace... Whence, then, comes the restlessness of mankind? Our answer is that nervousness is man's creation... he develops it himself through an erroneous way of living. We are not born to a life of excitement, we are born to live a life of serenity and peace, peace with the world and peace with oneself. When one finds his nerves over-strained, he must immediately set about to change his habits. He must change the rhythm of his personality. Every personality has its own rhythm. Rhythm in itself is a Divine gift, it is part of the individual... One can do things with haste and he can do them temperately. He can rush through life and he can walk through life... He can keep himself in an exceedingly tense state, and he can also keep his mind and his nerves in a relaxed state.

Do not let your oversensitive nature get the better of you... You must train your mind to say: this does not matter, that is of no importance. Man should not sell his peace of mind for the acquisition of wealth... Wealth is good so long as it adds to one's happiness; but if it makes one unhappy, if its search and preservation disquiet his consciousness and disturb his peace, we say to him, do not seek it, do not go after it. Keep away from all the non-essentials, they only sap the strength and energy, and bring on nervousness... All the minor things in life do not matter. Try to cultivate in your heart, in your consciousness, harmony with the world... No comfort, no pleasure, no wealth can possibly compensate for a disturbed peace of mind.

Worry is a disease which prevents man from enjoying the blessings of the present by filling him with forebodings and cares about his future. Worry checks the smooth and even flow of vitality, it retards the stream of thought. A state of nervousness may be more disturbing to one's self than any physical ache or pain. Nervousness is not an inherited disease that God gave to man; He gave man understanding whereby he may control the circumstances in which he lives; man, therefore, has the power to make his life pleasant and happy, tranquil and serene. Worry destroys the finest in man, it undermines his natural gifts and abilities. We regard worry as a sin; for anything that undermines health and impairs vitality is sinful. ...there is no fulfillment in a life of this kind. It is hectic, unsatisfactory, meaningless.

There is also a spiritual restlessness. Man loses his peace of mind chiefly because he has no spiritual philosophy of life to give him a true perspective of the various occurrences in his existence and to help him see them in their true light and proper proportions. A spiritual philosophy of life will enable one to see things in their true value; it will show him what to hold and what to surrender, what to preserve and what to sacrifice, it will show him what is bound to yield happiness and what will create and augment misery. With a higher conception of life, one can still think of his problems, he can still endeavor to solve them but he knows how to draw the line of demarcation between his problems and himself. From a viewpoint of a spiritual philosophy of life, man has no cause to be depressed in the presence of hardship; he has no cause to be downcast in the face of obstacles; he has no cause whatever to lose his peace of mind when adverse circumstances come his way... A life that has the spiritual in it, in which the yearning for God is given the opportunity for expression, carries with it so much riches, so much comfort, so much joy that all the wealth in the world could not purchase it. It is from his spiritual spring that man can draw vigor and vitality and understanding. It is from this spring that man can draw courage in moments of need and hope in hours of darkness and depression. If man insists on preserving his peace, no-one can possibly deprive him of it; and if he deprives himself of it, in vain will he seek it in other places and other climes.

One must return to a religious life. By that we do not mean a only life of religious observance, though that too is beautiful, but a life permeated with the realization of God's presence. The loss of faith, or the failure to apply it as a living thing in the affairs of life, is more contributing to the prevalent nervous condition of mankind... Man today has lost contact with his Creator... When people fail him, when his own powers fail him, he has noone to turn to for hope, for consolation, for help...He finds no inherent harmony between himself and the Universal Power... The (one) that knows God is at his right hand, cannot be moved; he has a tranquil heart and a prayerful mind...He cannot know the nervousness which is the result of fear and anxiety and a sense of futility. We know the correct way to face life is with faith...in God's goodness, and faith in His loving-kindness, and faith that whatever He holds for our future will be the best.

We know that He Who created mankind, has also bound Himself to restore man to his healthy self; He Who created energy and strength and peace, has also bonded Himself to restore their gifts when they have fled. One who has ceased doubting and has decided upon a definite step of action, he soon will discover that all his anxieties had been futile, all his premonitions without foundation, and nothing but his best hopes were realized. We therefore lay great stress on the efficacy of prayer. We know from our daily experiences that an earnest supplication, a whole-hearted, a whole-minded concentration in prayer, never fails to evoke a Divine response. ...open your eyes, see the beauties and the truths of religious faith, give expression to the spiritual cravings within you and you will know true happiness and peace. When a person lives a serene life, his human powers, his spiritual forces also function at their best... In a calm life the finer feelings of the individual also function much more powerfully... God has created man to be the highest creature in the world, but he is the highest creature only when his soul is filled with rest. A man of faith cannot worry. There is an inner tranquility, and inner silence that is not disturbed by the agitation and fermentation of life's stern combats...

It is necessary to first change our outlook upon life. We must simplify our mode of living. One must begin the day even as God Himself begins it. God does not perform His tasks in haste; nature does not hurry. Do not begin the day in a rush. To rush in the morning is an unnatural way and therefore a ruinous way of beginning. If you begin the day in haste, you will rush throughout the day, even if there is nothing to be rushing for; you will be filled with excitement, even if the rest of the world is serene... Begin the day...with poise and serenity. Begin the day with tranquility which an early rising induces, and the rest of the day will be serene. Begin the day in serenity, and your faculties will do their work faithfully, your mind will dig its deepest channels, your judgement will show the clearest ways... Begin the day with serenity, and in addition, begin the day with a cheerful heart; begin the day with a smile. Do not recall the mishaps of the day gone by. Do not begin the day with anxiety over the past. Nor do you begin the day with anticipation of difficulty and trouble for today. We must not begin the day with a grudge that drives a wedge between us and a fellow-man... You cannot dream of a serene old age, unless you now begin each day with serenity. Begin also your day with a prayer.

Just for one day...live in perfect contentment. For one day, the forces that make envy can be silenced, the eyes that covet can be veiled, the heart that is embittered at the abundance of others can be pacified. ...when the individual lends bitterness no outlet, when he refuses to speak or act in moments of displeasure, he discourages anger, he makes his temper feel that it is unwelcome. Self-control will at first be difficult, but when one persists it becomes easy and pleasant.

Patience is the ability to wait for the better to come. Patience is the ability to withstand delay, to wait with poise and equanimity for the better to come. When we are confronted with the darker aspects of life, we work and wait patiently until the storm is spent...until the unpleasant hours are over, until the darkness is dispelled, until a brighter future sheds its light before us. The ability to overlook is important in establishing friendly relations with our neighbors, but it is of still greater value in maintaining perfect harmony among members of a family and it is inestimable in promoting marital devotion.

Man will always have before him essential things and non-essential things, small things and big things; he must make it a point to keep his eye on the essential, and...to overlook the non-essential. In the proper management of a mind, only wholesome ideas, only wholesome images, only wholesome visions, are encouraged. Unwholesome ones are banished. ...even when circumstances are not all advantageous, they will exercise no discouraging influence if the mind keeps its inner eye turned to the bright horizon.

Peace of mind means perfect harmony between the various elements that constitute man; harmony between the forces within and the forces without. While there is an inner peace there is also an outer peace; the peace which emanates and fills every human relationship, and makes itself felt within the home and within man's whole world. ...An harmonious life presents two aspects: that of outer harmony, and that of inner harmony. Outer harmony is attained when man is at peace with the world... ...invisible rays of devotion and love radiate from his soul and reach out to those about him. His soul becomes knitted to the soul of mankind, his heart vibrates in unison with the heart of the world... Inner harmony implies peace among the different emotions of the individual... when man acts without cause to regret his action, when he lives without cause to regret the days that have passed; then he purifies the very atmosphere in which he breathes and sanctifies the very soil on which he treads. One would soon realize that one's real foes are not those that he encounters in the outside world...but those masked thoughts...that have gained inward dominion over him... ...just as a person may conquer outer obstacles and thus change the course of his or her life, so may he also conquer inner detriments and change his character and disposition. ...those things which disturb our peace of mind can be obviated... ...our joyful anticipations, our hopes, must always march before us when we direct our vision toward the future.

Serenity must not be merely an outward manifestation. One must not merely act serenely, one must live serenely. ...steep yourself in serenity. Force yourself to speak serenely, walk slowly and calmly, give yourself over to long moments of silence, keep yourself constantly in a relaxed state of mind; and again, above all, pray for serenity, affirm serenity. Since serenity is a gift from the Divine Mind, one must appeal to the Divine Mind for its restoration when it has become overlaid with excitation and restlessness... For serenity, one should...visualize Divine rays of serenity permeating his being... If one finds it difficult to offer this visualized prayer, he should affirm many times: “The God consciousness in me expresses itself in calmness and peace”. Pray affirmatively: Affirm and practice serenity and you will find deeper, greater joy therein than in your former hectic state. When the mind is serene, it does not feel itself lost in the face of a crisis, it does not become hopeless when confronted with a dilemma; it always sees a way out or hopes a way out that will prove helpful and pleasant. God gave us peace of mind, but we must not disturb it. Our inner mind must be a place of refuge, our sanctuary. To this sanctuary one must be able to turn all the disquietudes of life, in it he must find a haven from all the struggles and disturbances that he is plunged in. In the sanctuary of his mind, there must always be peace. ...Divine tranquility resides in the innermost chamber of the heart; it is the resting place of God.